Nitto Tire Hits New Social Media Milestone

· The Nitto Facebook page has grown by an average of 25,000 new fans per day since June.

· Nitto Tire was the fastest-growing automotive brand on Facebook in June and August.

· More than 20,000 fans have entered to win the Nitto Tire Ford Mustang give-away through its Facebook page.

Over the past decade, social media has become one of the top ways for a business to engage and connect with consumers. Nitto Tire U.S.A., Inc., a leading manufacturer of off-road and street performance tires, was quick to embrace this trend and has cultivated one of the fastest-growing social media pages in the automotive industry. The Nitto Tire Facebook page gained its 10 millionth fan on September 29, 2014. Further, the tire company's social popularity nearly doubled in the first three quarters of 2014 and has been used to engage customers for contests and crowd-sourcing.

Nitto began 2014 with 5.4 million Facebook fans and nearly doubled its following before the end of the third quarter. Since June, Nitto's fan page has gained more than 25,000 fans per day and has quickly surpassed many major industry brands, including Ford Mustang, Porsche, Audi and Harley-Davidson.

"When Nitto first came to the U.S., we prided ourselves on connecting directly with enthusiasts so that we could make a product they wanted," said Harry Kong, Nitto Tire U.S.A.'s Brand Publishing and Social Media Strategist. "Now, with the advent of social media, we have the ability to connect with millions of enthusiasts on a daily basis so that we can make our products even better while also giving back to the community that has made Nitto Tire what it is today."

Kong continued, "Nitto-sponsored racers and builders have been at the top of their games this year, giving our creative and branding teams many exciting stories to tell. Our in-house efforts and social media marketing outreach administered by Cie Studios have combined to make Nitto Tire U.S.A. the fastest-growing automotive destination on Facebook during the months of June and August."

Social media has become an invaluable resource for Nitto, allowing it to reach out directly to its fans and customers -- which is very important for a brand that prides itself on being "Driven by Enthusiasts." Nitto's Facebook page features everything from cool vehicles sporting Nitto rubber to the latest results from sponsored racers, who have been dominating their respective series this year, as well as links to content on the Nitto-powered blog, DrivingLine.

Nitto Tire has also utilized its following for crowd sourcing and social contesting this year. Nitto engaged its fans to vote to have the Trail Grappler tire used on Nissan's Wounded Warrior Project Titan, a completely spec'd-by-fans truck that two wounded Iraq War veterans are currently driving across Alaska. Nitto is also currently running a contest in which the company's tricked-out 2014 Ford Mustang SEMA show car will be given away to one lucky fan. This 50th Anniversary Mustang GT has been extensively modified with a naturally aspirated engine that puts out a whopping 550 horsepower and features a Ford Racing Cobra Jet intake manifold and 65mm throttle body, a 3dCarbon body kit, Katzkin leather upholstery, Steeda coilovers, 14-inch Wilwood brakes, 20-inch Niche Vecenza wheels, and Nitto NT05 Max Performance Tires: 275/35ZR20 in the front, 315/35ZR20 in the rear. So far this contest has received more than 20,000 entries through Nitto's Facebook page, with more entries coming in every day. Registration for the sweepstakes ends on November 30, 2014, and the winning entry will be randomly selected around December 1, 2014.

In celebration of the 10-million fan mark, Nitto also released a series of short videos that feature its employees, giving fans an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes at Nitto. Each of these eight videos shares Nitto's story from the standpoint of the various divisions within the organization and demonstrates the brand's personal and human sides. The eight videos can be found on the Nitto's Facebook page and the official YouTube channel.

Nitto Tire (www.nittotire.com) develops performance tires for all uses, including racing, off-road and street. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facilities in both Japan and the United States, Nitto provides innovative and high-quality performance tires for the most demanding automotive enthusiasts. For more information about Nitto or its products, visit the company's web site or contact the company directly. Nitto is a registered trademark of Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc., located at 5665 Plaza Drive, Ste. 250, Cypress, CA 90630.